Pacific Rim: Your Secret is Safe With Me
by Darkpenn
Summary: In which Dr Hermann Gottlieb meets Ranger Dee Delacroix.


**Your Secret is Safe with Me**

_In which Dr Hermann Gottlieb meets Ranger Dee Delacroix._

_[Author's Note: This series takes place two years before the story_ Pacific Rim: Iceland_, and functions as a prelude to that story.]_

Dr Hermann Gottlieb had no doubt that the two best things about his lab/office in the Kaiju Science Corporation building in Hong Kong were the huge amount of blackboard space and the solitude. Someone from HR kept sending him assistants but they seldom lasted more than a day or two.

So he was somewhat surprised, and more than a little annoyed, when he heard someone enter the lab. He was up the ladder working on a tri-metric quad-algorithmic variation to one of his formulae at the time and did not bother looking down.

After a while, a voice – female – said: "That's a tri-metric quad-algorithmic variation to one of your formulae, isn't it?"

Hermann made a point of not being impressed. Plenty of people knew what a tri-metric quad-algorithmic formula variation was. So he merely grunted and continued to work.

Eventually, he completed the task and climbed down. He had forgotten there was another person there.

"Hi," she said.

He jumped. Perhaps a metre.

"You still here?" he said, by way of seeking to recover the situation, and his composure. "Why? I don't need an assistant."

Although, to tell the truth, this one was … he hated to admit it … quite attractive. If you liked slim, tall, and blond. Strangely, she was wearing a Ranger uniform instead of a lab coat. It fitted her … snugly.

"I'm not your assistant," said the woman. "I'm your bodyguard."

Well, that explained the uniform. And the sidearm. And the casual military style. And the take-no-BS demeanour. And those long legs that reached right down to the ground.

"I need a bodyguard even less," said Hermann.

"Are you aware," said the woman, "that you have received a number of death threats?"

Hermann started. "Really?" he said. "How many?"

"723. Quite a lot, actually. Mostly from the militant faction of the Kaiju Church. A variety of others. We do not count the ones written in crayon."

"723, eh?" said Hermann. "Er, you wouldn't happen to know how many Dr Geiszler has received, would you?"

"High six hundreds, I think."

"Yesss!" said Hermann, punching the air. "In any case, Miss – "

"It's Ranger Delacroix. And if you are thinking of dismissing me, you can't. I have my orders. You are an asset to be protected, apparently."

That name rang a little bell in Hermann's head.

"Very well, Ranger Delacroix," he said. "You can stay if you can answer one question. What is the Noble gas of the fifth – "

"Xenon. I will stay, Dr Gottlieb, if you can answer from one from me. Maths question. What is J worth?"

"Pardon me?"

The Ranger sighed. "Well, since I'm here, for the moment, I should remind you to get ready for the ceremony," she said. "It starts in two hours."

"Oh no, not another one," he said.

"According to your diary, you specifically wanted to go to this one. You are to receive an award for your work on the mathematics underpinning the application of certain aspects of Drift tech to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease."

"Oh," said Hermann. "That one. Yes, I suppose I should go to it."

"I assume you will want to go home and change."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Well, that suit is … unsuitable. In fact, I doubt it is even a suit."

"It is the best one I have. What is wrong with it?"

"If you have to ask, I can't tell you. Okay, come on, we have time to stop and get you a decent one."

"But – "

"Not a request, Dr Gottlieb."

Hermann knew that there was no point in arguing. So he accompanied her.

As they left the building, a man across the street spoke into a mobile phone.

* * *

Hermann would not have admitted it, but the suit was … nice. Or so he assumed. He knew nothing about it. But a number of people at the awards ceremony mentioned it.

There were many important people at the ceremony but Ranger Delacroix noticed that Hermann spent all his time talking to an elderly Hong Kong woman. Eventually, the master of ceremonies asked Ranger Delacroix to bring Hermann to the stage. She went over to him.

"Dr Gottlieb," she said. "It is time for the ceremony part."

"In a minute, in a minute," he said. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I was just thanking Dr Gottlieb for his generous financial support of our organisation," said the elderly woman. "True, we're not one of the big ones, and we care for people who cannot be helped by the Drift developments, but – "

Ranger Delacroix raised an eyebrow. "Generous support?" she said.

"Mrs Bo, it's not much," Hermann said.

"Oh, don't be modest, Hermann, it's – " started the woman.

He tried to gesture for her to stop. But she didn't. She gave the facts and figures. Yes, it was indeed a generous level of support.

"Nevertheless, Dr Gottlieb is needed on the stage," said Ranger Delacroix. She began to pull him away.

"Please don't tell anyone about that," said Hermann to her.

"If you like, but why not?"

"Well, I … have a reputation to keep. A reputation … as a … recalcitrant … fellow … "

Ranger Delacroix stared at him. "That organisation is not the only one, is it?" she said.

Hermann looked at his new shoes and shook his head. "I've made a fair bit of money from patents and things over the past two years," he said softly. "But … there is nothing I want to buy with it. So … I do things like that."

Ranger Delacroix smiled. "Your secret is safe with me," she said.

The awards ceremony proceeded, and Dr Gottlieb was given a nice plaque. He stammered through an acceptance speech that lasted about fifteen seconds.

As soon as the speaking part was over, he sought out Mrs Bo and resumed the conversation, even though there was a queue of noteworthy people waiting to speak to him. When he eventually saw the line, he looked dismayed.

"Dr Gottlieb," said Ranger Delacroix in a loud voice. "UN security protocols require us to depart immediately."

"What?" he said. "Oh, security protocols, yes, depart immediately, of course."

Mrs Bo winked at them.

So Ranger Delacroix and Hermann left the function and were soon back on the street. They became to walk towards the Kaiju Science Corporation building.

"What happened to your award?" said Ranger Delacroix.

"I gave it to Mrs Bo," said Hermann. "I believe she deserves it more than I. Uh, if anyone asks, don't tell them that. Tell them … that I lost it."

Ranger Delacroix stopped. She looked around. Even at night, the street was crowded, as streets in Hong Kong usually were.

"Ranger Delacroix, how did you know that it was a tri-metric quad-algorithmic formula variation?" asked Hermann.

"I sometimes fly a jet fighter," said Ranger Delacroix, still surveying the area. "And sometimes a JumpHawk. Some maths is involved. This way, Doctor."

They turned and walked back – at a rather faster pace than Hermann was used to.

Ranger Delacroix stopped again. She gestured to a side-street. "That way," she said.

"But – "

"Not a discussion, Doctor."

Hermann saw that there seemed to be a lot of people heading in their direction. He felt a little twinge in his spine.

They started along the smaller street. Ranger Delacroix took out her phone. She tried to make a call but the signal was being blocked.

A group of people was coming towards them. Hermann looked behind them; there was an even larger group.

"Here," said Ranger Delacroix, turning into an alley. It took them to a construction site, a multi-level building, empty but lit with floodlights. Ranger Delacroix forced the gate open and they went in. She pointed to a metal staircase heading upwards.

The two groups had merged and there was now about fifty people, coming on fast. Some of them carried pistols, and others had knives or clubs.

Hermann and Ranger Delacroix went up the steps, running.

"You … you have a gun," Hermann panted.

"Yes, and I have 22 bullets," she said. "Not enough. Our best bet is to stay ahead of them. We might be able to get beyond the range of their blocking device."

"Who are they?"

"Church of Kaiju militants, I would think. You have a reputation amongst them, Doctor. You even have a price on your head."

"Really? Is it more than – "

"More than Dr Geiszler's? Sorry, no."

"Damn."

They reached the top floor of the site, perhaps the tenth storey. It was just an open floor and a forest of columns and girders.

Ranger Delacroix looked down the staircase. The militants were coming up.

They ran to the edge of the building. There was no way to climb down. There was another building, a glass-fronted skyscraper, facing them, but it was across a major street. It was obviously closed for the night.

"Not good," said Ranger Delacroix.

"There is an alternative," said Hermann. "It's me they want, not you. If you run – towards that crane over there, for example – they will not follow you."

"But they will tear you apart."

"Well, yes, I will concede that that is a flaw in an otherwise operative plan."

She smiled. "I have another idea," she said. She pointed to the nearby skyscraper. Then she pointed to a heavy chain, connected to the arm of the crane and hooked over a girder near them. "You are the mathematician, Dr Gottlieb," she said. "If we swing on that, can we make it over there?"

Hermann started. Then he looked at the chain and the distance. "Well, considering the parabolic arc, our estimated combined weight, the likely speed – "

"Not a whole lot of time," said Ranger Delacroix. She pointed; the first militants were at the top of the staircase.

"I … I … yes, in theory. It is possible. But of course we would simply splat against the plastic windows of the building over there like bugs. They are far too strong to break."

Ranger Delacroix drew her pistol. "Which window?" she said.

Hermann considered, and then pointed. "That one," he said.

"Are you sure?"

He stared at her.

She smiled again and unhooked the chain. She stood on the edge.

"I need one hand to hold on to the chain and the other to shoot," she said. "So you should get a good grip on me."

Hermann gulped. He looked around. The militants were racing towards them now. Twenty metres, if that. One of them fired, and a bullet whistled past Hermann's ear.

"Er, how?" he said. "Where?"

"Anywhere you like."

Hermann half-closed his eyes. Then, from behind, he put his arms around Ranger Delacroix. He could feel her strength. Her warmth. She was wearing a very nice perfume.

And then they were swinging through the air.

"J IS WORTH EIGHT POINTS!" screamed Hermann.

Zooming towards the window, Ranger Delacroix fired, a whole clip. They crashed through, the weakened plastic giving way. They landed on the floor in a tangle of limbs.

"Ouch," said Hermann.

"Went well, I thought," said Ranger Delacroix. She took out her phone; the signal connected. She called for a Ranger team. Whoever was on the other end said that they would meet Ranger Delacroix and Hermann on the street outside.

Ranger Delacroix looked back at the construction site. The militants, realising that their prey had eluded them, were dispersing.

Ranger Delacroix and Hermann found a staircase and started down.

"I hope that I did not … grip you … in any inappropriate way, Ranger Delacroix," said Hermann.

"Nothing I'm going to complain about," said Ranger Delacroix. "And please call me Dee."

"Hmm," said Hermann. "Would you be the Dee Delacroix who put a fuel-air missile down the throat of the Kaiju codenamed Angler last year?"

"Yes, although there were many people involved in that particular battle."

They reached the street-level door. They looked at each other.

"I suppose the events of the evening suggest that I do, indeed, need a bodyguard," said Hermann. "And to tell the truth I find that I … enjoy your company, Ranger – er, I mean, Dee."

"Best date I've had in ages," said Dee.

"Date?" said Hermann.

She laughed. "You are a dork, Dr Gottlieb," she said. "But I like you."

"You do?" said Hermann. "Well, well … gosh. And … it's Hermann. To you."

Dee laughed again. Then she opened the door, and they walked through it together.

END


End file.
